Nearly 50 years have passed since Elvis Presley died; save for an annual August observance to commemorate the anniversary of the singer’s death, most days produce little news about Presley or his estate, Graceland, which became a National Historic Landmark in 2006.
Fans, then, were unprepared in late May 2024, when a mysterious private investment company issued a public notice to foreclose on Graceland. The property appeared to have been used as collateral on a nearly US$4 million unpaid loan.
Suddenly, it seemed like a piece of history could disappear with the rap of an auctioneer’s gavel.
Many of the details of the episode are still unclear, though the courts suspected fraud and promptly suspended the sale. An identity thief later took credit for the attempted grift from the shadows of the dark web.
But the anxiety over the possibility that Presley’s home might fall out of family control raises an important question: Why does Graceland matter?
It’s the second-most-visited home in the U.S., topped only by the White House. According to the U.S. Interior Department, which granted Graceland landmark status, “American culture and music changed irreversibly because of Elvis. It would be difficult to tell the story of the 20th century without discussing the many contributions made by this legendary, iconic artist.”
The department’s account is certainly correct, but the saga of Graceland provides more nuance than the decree suggests.
In my twobooks on Presley, I argue that the singer did, indeed, make significant contributions to American society. However, at the same time, many have viewed the singer’s life, output and legacy with a sneer.
In 1956, he purchased a house for his parents in an upper-middle-class suburb in East Memphis. The family had moved at least 16 times since Elvis’ birth, mostly into boarding rooms, subsidized apartments and rental houses.
At each stop, the Presleys were accustomed to bringing along their cultural mores.
At their new East Memphis address, this didn’t go over well with the neighbors, even though Elvis had become a superstar through his music, TV appearances and film roles.
Upon receiving notice from his well-to-do neighbors that they didn’t approve of his mother hanging out clothes to dry and raising chickens in the backyard, Elvis began looking for a home where he and his family would not suffer the injuries of social class.
In 1957, when he was just 22 years old, he settled on Graceland.
Nearly 50 years have passed since Elvis Presley died; save for an annual August observance to commemorate the anniversary of the singer’s death, most days produce little news about Presley or his estate, Graceland, which became a National Historic Landmark in 2006.
Fans, then, were unprepared in late May 2024, when a mysterious private investment company issued a public notice to foreclose on Graceland. The property appeared to have been used as collateral on a nearly US$4 million unpaid loan.
Suddenly, it seemed like a piece of history could disappear with the rap of an auctioneer’s gavel.
Many of the details of the episode are still unclear, though the courts suspected fraud and promptly suspended the sale. An identity thief later took credit for the attempted grift from the shadows of the dark web.